Naleighna Kai's Literary Cafe Magazine May - Mother's Day Issue | Page 6

Cerece Rennie Murphy
Sometimes, I feel bad telling people about my
mother. It feels like I’m bragging because, well, I am.
My mother is simply the best person I have ever met
and there aren’t many people who can trace every
single good thing in their life back to one person. I
can. She is
God’s first gift to me. She loved and sheltered me
through a difficult home environment, even when
I was indifferent and ungrateful for the sacrifices
she was making for me. Through the depths of
her kindness, she enabled me to have meaningful
relationships with each of my five siblings, even
though we all have different mothers and grew up in
different homes.
She encouraged each of my crazy ambitions,
whether it was heading 3,000 miles away from her to
go to college or setting off to climb Kilimanjaro by
myself. Many of these excursions she didn’t like or
flat-out disagreed with, but she never withheld her
love or support if there was any way she could help
make my dreams come true.
When I cried over boys who were not worth my
tears, she prayed that God would send me the man
that He wanted for me. Now, every time I look at my
husband, I remember that he is not the answer to
my prayers (because I didn’t know how to pray for a
man like him). He is the fruit of my mother’s faith in
God and love for me.